Special Poll
Donald Trump’s campaign team has vocally opposed Special Counsel Jack Smith’s plea to the Supreme Court for a ruling on Trump’s claim to federal prosecution immunity, labeling it as a desperate attempt to thwart Trump’s potential 2024 White House bid.
Smith, on Monday, urged the Supreme Court to promptly address whether Trump is shielded from prosecution in a federal case alleging his involvement in overturning the 2020 election results. This request is aimed at ensuring the continuity of the trial set for March.
The Trump campaign issued a statement accusing Joe Biden’s “henchman,” Jack Smith, of deliberately attempting to derail Trump’s 2024 Presidential Election prospects by fast-tracking the matter to the Supreme Court, bypassing the appellate process. They described Smith’s actions as a “Hail Mary” effort and maintained Trump’s stance that the charges against him are politically driven.
Trump has maintained that his actions around the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot are covered by presidential immunity. He faces four felony counts alleging his central role in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruct the certification of votes on that day.
This development follows a federal judge’s dismissal of Trump’s immunity argument earlier this month. Judge Tanya Chutkan stated that former presidents are not entitled to a permanent “get-out-of-jail-free” card. Trump has since appealed this decision to the D.C. Court of Appeals.
With the trial’s March 4 date approaching, Smith is pushing for the Supreme Court to expedite its decision on this matter. In response, Trump’s campaign insists that rushing the trial serves only to harm Trump and his supporters, asserting that Trump will continue to fight against these “authoritarian tactics.”
The former president has also requested a halt in the trial’s progress until his appeal is resolved. Prosecutors argue that this is another strategy to delay the trial, possibly beyond the 2024 election.
This trial is the first of four criminal cases against Trump, including charges in Florida, New York, and Georgia, spanning issues from mishandling classified documents to alleged efforts to influence the 2020 election results.